This invention relates to a housing assembly for a radiotelephone.
A radiotelephone, typically, consists of at least two housings, a front and rear housing, for containing the electronic components necessary for the radiotelephone to operate. These housings are normally fixed together by means of screws which are inserted through apertures in the rear housing. These screws are screwed into sockets which are fixedly connected to the inside of the front housing. This approach ensures that the attaching means is not visible to the user during operation. This avoids the user having to see screw heads or other attachment means, such as rivets, which can distract from the distinctive appearance of the radiotelephone.
However, with the dramatic reduction in the size of recent generation radiotelephone it is becoming increasing more difficult to incorporate the required screw sockets to the inside of the front housing, hence increasing the complexity of the manufacturing process. Further, with the continuing need for manufactures to distinguish their products from those of their competitor, different materials for the radiotelephone housing are being considered. Not all these material type lend themselves to having fixing means incorporated into the housing design.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provided a housing assembly for a radiotelephone comprising a first housing having an aperture; a second housing; attachment means forming part of a moulding for fixing to the first housing having an engaging element for inserting through the aperture of the first housing for attaching the first and second housings.
Preferably the first housing is a front housing which is presented to a user during operation and wherein the second housing is a rear housing.
Preferably the engaging element is a screw boss.
Preferably the engaging element is a mechanical joint suitable for a push fit connection.
Where preferably the moulding is a graphics moulding.
Where preferably the moulding is a window moulding.
The window and graphics moulding can be used to conceal the functional aspects of the engaging element ensuring that no visible external fixings are seen by the user during operation of the radiotelephone.
Preferably the front housing is manufactured from pressed metal.
This invention is particularly suited for housings manufactured out of metal. Typically metal housings are formed from flat sheets where it is difficult to incorporate functionality for attaching the radiotelephone housings. Using an aperture on the front face through which attaching means are inserted simplifies the manufacture of the front housing and is particularly suited for attaching press metal housings.
Press metal housings can be made thinner than housings made from conventional housing materials resulting in a overall reduction in size and weight of the radiotelephone.
The use of a metal housing can have the advantage of increased electromagnetic shielding and/or electrostatic discharge protection. The additional protection provided by the metal housing can result in a reduced component count.
0.8mm thick Aluminum is the preferred metal for use in the manufacture of radiotelephone housings.
The use of metal housings will have an effect on the radiation patterns of the antenna which can enhance the emission characteristics of the radiotelephone.
Attaching housings according to the present invention allows the manufacture of the radio telephone to be completed in a single axis, simplifying the manufacturing process.